Name: Easter Bundt Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature); 2 cups granulated sugar; 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste; 4 large eggs; 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature ); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or extract; zest of 1 lemon; 1 cup Mini Cadbury Chocolate Eggs (chopped); 2 cups powdered sugar; 2-4 tablespoons milk; 2 tablespoons melted butter (cooled); 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

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This Easter Bundt Cake is soft, moist and bursting with fresh lemon flavor and made with a buttermilk base so it’s extra flavorful. It’s finished with a sweet lemon glaze and topped with colorful Mini Cadbury Eggs for the prettiest Easter dessert.

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Slice of Lemon Bundt Cake with Cadbury Eggs on top.

easter bundt cake

We make this Easter Bundt Cake completely from scratch (no boxed cake mix need), inspired by my classic Buttermilk Cake that’s always a crowd favorite. It has a rich, moist buttermilk base (thanks to that tangy buttermilk!) and just a hint of fresh lemon juice to give it a bright, springy flavor.

This cake is easy to make and perfect for brunch, spring parties, and Easter celebrations. It has the perfect amount of vanilla, lemon, icing and then crunchy and chocolatey eggs on top! More Easter cakes to make this Spring are Easter Bunny Cake, Easter Peeps Cake and Easter Poke Cake.

Mini Cadbury Eggs are my favorite Easter candy and look forward to it every year. Other easy desserts to make with these mini eggs are these Cadbury Egg Cookies, Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easter Bunny Snack Mix, and Easter Rice Krispie Treats.

Lemon buttermilk bundt cake with slice being removed from it.

Why You’ll Love this easter bundt cake

Fun activity for kids: Let the kids help you make this cake by having them add the mini eggs to the top of the cake.

Feeds a crowd: You can feed up to 8-12 people so this makes a great dessert for a party or Easter gatherings.

Perfect dessert: Bake this simple bundt cake for Spring birthday parties, and of course the Easter dessert table. This cake also makes a gorgeous table decor as well!

Make-ahead friendly: Bake it the day before, then glaze and decorate right before serving.

So moist and tender: The buttermilk base makes every slice rich, soft, and moist.

A whole Easter lemon cake, bundt cake with Cadbury mini eggs on a white plate.

key ingredients

Flour: All-purpose flour works best. Always spoon and level flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
Baking soda and baking powder: Used as a leavening agent, this will make the cake rise and be soft and fluffy.
Salted butter: If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
Granulated white sugar: Used to make the cake sweet.
Pure vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors. I love using vanilla bean paste to maximize the flavors.
Oil: Canola oil or vegetable oil can be used. This will also make the cake extra moist and soft.
Eggs: We use 4 whole eggs at room temperature to help bind the cake batter and add richness.
Buttermilk: The star ingredient! We use full fat buttermilk to add a rich and buttery flavor. It will also enhance the moisture and balance out the sweetness.
Lemon juice and zest: Fresh is best! You could also use lemon extract for more of a lemony flavor.
Bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs: The star ingredient that gives an Easter twist! They have a crunchy and colorful candy-coated exterior with a creamy chocolate center. You could also use Mini Robbin Eggs if you prefer a malt flavor instead. Chop the eggs or place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

how to make an easter bundt cake

To make the cake

Prep bundt pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and generously grease a bundt pan with non stick cooking spray and lightly coat with flour.

Mix flour mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and pale for a few minutes. Add in the oil, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest, mix until fully combined, smooth and mixture is creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.

Add buttermilk and flour: Rotate between adding the buttermilk and flour mixture in 3 increments. Make sure the cake batter is combined, but do not over-mix.

Bake and cool cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and the top is a light golden brown. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Then flip the cake onto the cooling rack and cool completely. Be sure to tap the sides of the cake pan all around with your hand.

To make the glaze

Make lemon glaze: In a medium or small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice and butter until smooth.

Frost the cake, slice and enjoy: If the frosting seems too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add in more milk. Transfer cooled bundt cake to a serving plate, drizzle the Lemon Icing Glaze on top, add chopped Mini Cadbury Eggs all over (the fun part) then slice and enjoy!

tips & variations

Size of baking pan: To bake in 2 9-inch round cake pans reduce the baking time by a few minutes. To bake in a 9×13 inch pan, bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. Always use the toothpick test to see if the cake is baked and note that oven temperature times vary in every oven.
Use room temperature ingredients: This will ensure a smooth and velvety batter and the ingredients will incorporate easily.
Make sure not to over-bake the cake: Every oven is different, so the bake times will be different. The best way to tell if it’s ready is it’s not jiggly in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
Make ahead: Save some time and make the cake a day or two ahead of time. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer to preserve it’s freshness.
Grease the pan thoroughly: There’s nothing worse than your cake sticking once it’s baked. Grease every inch of the bundt pan with baking spray.
Toppings: Add chocolate bunnies, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, Robbin Eggs, jelly beans, pastel Easter sprinkles or any of your favorite Easter candy.

Side view of glazed lemon bundt cake with Easter eggs on top.

faq

Can I make this in two 8 or 9-inch baking pans instead?

You can, just note that you will also have to decrease the baking time.

Do I have to use buttermilk?

Yes, I wouldn’t swap this ingredient for anything else because the buttermilk adds the rich flavor and the moist texture. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own buttermilk at home with milk and lemon or white vinegar. See below.

What makes this cake fluffy and moist?

The buttermilk! That’s why we can’t replace it. The combination of the butter and oil helps make this cake extra fluffy and moist as well.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Definitely! I do this almost every time sinceI don’t have the time to make a cake from start to finish in the same day. You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance. Once the bundt cake is baked and cooled completely, wrap generously with plastic wrap and then with heavy duty foil, this way it stays fresh and moist.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK

If you don’t have buttermilk at home or need a buttermilk substitute- don’t panic. You can easily make it from scratch! Simply pour 1 cup of regular whole milk into a liquid measuring cup and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir together and let the milk sit for 10 minutes or until it starts to curdle.

leftovers & storage

Leftovers: Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cover plate with foil or plastic wrap. Store in a cool area for up to 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze unfrosted or frosted cake by wrapping the cooled unfrosted cake with plastic wrap, or cut into individual slices and wrap each slice, and then place in a heavy-duty ziplock bag or cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost: To defrost the unfrosted or frosted cake, let the cake thaw completely before frosting. Place cake in the refrigerator to sit overnight or sit out in the counter for at least 3 hours.